Motherwell ace Dan Casey pleads innocence over challenge that left Rangers kid Ross McCausland on crutches
DAN CASEY pleaded his innocence over the challenge that saw Rangers kid Ross McCausland hobble out of Ibrox on crutches.
But skipper James Tavernier has revealed he was left stunned that the Motherwell stopper escaped punishment.
Casey, who netted the late winner in a shock 2-1 Well victory, said: “One of the Rangers coaching staff said something to me after the game about it.
"I didn’t really listen or hear what they said, but it was something about what happened.
"But I only went in to win the ball.
“I never went in to hurt anyone — I’m not that type of person.
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“If you see it back, you can see I won the ball.
“I would never, ever try to hurt anybody.
“As a person, that’s not what I’m about.
“I only had eyes for the ball — I play hard and I go in hard, it’s how I am.”
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The flashpoint came after 35 minutes.
Casey won the ball as he slid into the challenge, but made contact with McCausland’s shin.
The youngster required treatment, but was substituted and limped up the tunnel clearly in pain.
His Ibrox team-mates remonstrated with referee Alan Muir, demanding action be taken against Fir Park defender Casey.
But the Motherwell man didn’t receive any punishment.
Gers full-back Tavernier, though, claims Casey was “endangering an opponent” which is a red card offence.
Skipper Tav, who had pulled his side level from the spot, said:
“Obviously Casey has won the ball, but it’s about the velocity of the challenge.
“Then you see Ross go straight down the tunnel and he’s in crutches.
“We were asking the ref — he’s won the ball, but it’s the pace that he’s went in at, and he’s injured our player. So, I asked the question.
“It’s the person in VAR who is looking at it, and there was a lot of things that I felt could have been different.
“You look at it and it’s good old-fashioned football.
"You want to see challenges, but when it is endangering an opponent then it’s a different story.
“Yeah, he got the ball, but for Ross to walk straight down the tunnel and be on crutches.
“Their player went in too hard and they have not seen anything.”
Talented Ibrox kid McCausland is now a huge doubt for Thursday night’s Europa League first-leg clash with Benfica in Lisbon.
Gers gaffer Philippe Clement has also been stunned by the news that January signing Oscar Cortes is facing weeks out.
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The winger, who made an impressive start to his Ibrox career, could need surgery.
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